Posts Tagged ‘Cracklin’’

Get out and (zydeco) dance on October 1

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

First, let me apologize for not posting much recently. I have finally reached the stage where I need one of my knees replaced and will have that surgery soon. I wore it out from playing lots of sports, and also from lots of dancing in my past years. I’m hoping I can make a full recovery so I can join y’all on the dance floors of the future, but in the meantime I haven’t been as motivated to write about music and dancing as I could have been.

Anyhow, this Saturday, October 1, you’ve got a choice of three different Cajun/zydeco bands playing in three different cities to choose from. First, if you’re near Detroit, Monsieur Guillaume and His Zydeco Hepcats play at Kelly’s Bar & Grill in Hamtramck (at 2403 Holbrook–across from the big Kowalski sausage sign). They crank it up starting at 9:30 pm. The Hepcats also recommend getting there earlier and having dinner. There’s no cover charge (I could have just said “no cover” like the Mardi Gras picture about this event on their homepage). Call Kelly’s at 313-872-0387 if you need more info.

Or, if you’re in south-central (lower peninsula) Michigan, you could head over to the Black Sheep Tavern (at 115 E. Main St., Manchester) to hear Cracklin. Definitely go hungry to this event as the Tavern has some good food! But, quel dommage! there’s no room for dancing. More info at 734-428-8972.

Finally, if you’re in the Traverse City/Cadillac area, check out K. Jones and the Benzie Playboys at the Gopherwood Dance. It’s at the Elks Club at 122 S. Mitchell St. in Cadillac. There is an admission fee ($10 in advance, kids less), and while the Gopherwood series is promoted as concerts, they will have a dance floor available. More info at 231-775-2813.

As always, if you attend one of these events, please post a comment about the event (or email me a report, hopefully also with a picture or two)!

SE michigan CZ events, April 2-3

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Michigan is settling back to its usual “not very often” Cajun/zydeco music scene, but there are still opportunities to listen to good local Cajun and zydeco music.

This Saturday, April 2, Monsieur Guillaume and His Zydeco Hepcats play at the Bayou Grill, 404 Main St., in Belleville, MI. You can’t miss the huge alligator on the roof! The Hepcats play starting at 9:00 pm. It appears the Bayou Grill is trying a regular Saturday night live music thing again–good for them! Not all of it is Cajun/zydeco music, but it is still live music! And check out the Hepcats new web page. I like it so much better than their old MySpace page. :-) Call the Bayou Grill at 734-697-2300 for more info. Oh, did I mention it’s a Cajun restaurant and you can get good things to eat there?

Then on Sunday, April 3, Cracklin plays at Cleary’s Pub, 113 S. Main St., Chelsea, MI (734-475-1922). Cracklin plays from 1:30 to 4:30 pm. Don’t know much more than that, though. Someone go and check it out and send me a report!

Catch some Cracklin, March 11 & 12

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

We’ve really been having a feast of live Cajun/zydeco music in the southeastern Michigan area lately. And this weekend it continues! Michigan based Cracklin plays on Friday, March 11, and Saturday, March 12.

Cracklin logo

Friday is at Goodnight Gracie in Ann Arbor, at 301 W. Huron St (SW corner of First St.), from 7:30 to 10:00 pm. $5 cover. Cajun food available. Not sure if this is a 21 and over event or not (but probably). More info: 734-623-1443. Also don’t think there is a dance floor.

On Saturday, Cracklin appears at the (NOT “teh”!) Black Sheep Tavern in Manchester (Michigan), 115 E. Main St., for two different seatings, 6-8pm and 8-10pm. This is due to the fact that the last time Cracklin played there diners didn’t want to leave and so others folks couldn’t get in to hear Cracklin! There of course will be a Louisiana inspired menu as well as the regular menu. More info: 734-428-8972.

And, of course, not to be outdone, another local band, Creole du Nord, plays their regular gig at the Passport Restaurant & Lounge, 3776 S. State St. in Ann Arbor, on Sunday, March 13 (yikes! Friday the 13th done come on a Sunday this month!), from 6 to 8 pm. Go get some dinner and even do a little (or a lot of) dancing. Info: 734-222-1111.

(The Passport/Creole du Nord poster above doesn’t mention March 13, but CdN are indeed playing at the Passport on the 13th.)

Posted by Garry.

Cracklin at the Black Sheep Tavern in Manchester, January 15

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

Hey folks, head on over to the Black Sheep Tavern in Manchester, Michigan, this Saturday, January 15 when local Cajun band Cracklin plays live for the tavern’s “Louisiana Dinner Night.” The event is from 6:30 to 10:00 pm. There is no cover charge (yay!) and no dance floor (boo!), although there will be Cajun food and music (both yay!)

The Black Sheep Tavern is at 115 E. Main St. in Manchester. Find it on an online map.

Actually, no dance floor is not too bad for me at this time as I have a surgically-repaired foot that is still not ready for dancing. That’s also why I haven’t been too inspired to post on this blog for more than a month!

And this is from the Cracklin web page:

Cracklin Cajun Band Just talked to the chef the Black Sheep. The menu for the Louisiana Dinner this Saturday night is: Gumbo with gulf shrimp, andouille sausage and chicken; red beans and rice, southern catfish, cajun grouper, blackened chicken, frog legs, bread pudding and pecan pie (along with their regular menu) Passe moi donc le riz et gombo!

Bon appetit!

Louisiana Dance Party–Report

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

Well, 18 folks paid to get in to the Louisiana Dance Party on November 19 at the Pittsfield Grange, so I covered the hall rent, although it didn’t fully cover the cost of refreshments. Quel dommage! It seems most folks had fun dancing, though.

Dancers at the Louisiana Dance Party

Dancers at the Louisiana Dance Party, November 19

Cyndy Cleveland was kind enough to drop by and give some basic Cajun two-step and waltz dance lessons, and we even had special guests Chuck and Lorraine (formerly of Chuck’s on the Boulevard) drop by to say hi. Even better, and unexpectedly, Chuck and Lorraine brought a pot of jambalaya to share with everyone! Lagniappe!

Lorraine plays the frottoir

Lorraine plays the frottoir

Chuck, at home in the Grange's kitchen

Chuck, at home in the Grange's kitchen

I had promised cake in celebration of 10 years of Maison Bleue being together as a band, and it was a very nice marble cake from Heritage Bakery of Livonia, MI. We also had ice cream, and had a toast of 10 years down, and many more to come. Oh, yeah, did I mention Chuck and Lorraine’s delicious jambalaya? I should probably plug their excellent cookbook, n’est-pas!?

Maison Bleue's cake

Maison Bleue's 10th anniversary cake

After the intermission, we let Jeff Boerger’s “other” band, Cracklin’, take over on stage. Jeff plays guitar and fiddle in Maison Bleue, he also plays those and accordion in Cracklin’.

Crackln'

Cracklin' plays at the Pittsfield Grange

Of course. with Cracklin’ playing the music, some members of Maison Bleue (and Cyndy) were able to “get down” with playing Maison Bleue’s extra “noise-maker” instruments.

Noisemakers

Kip, Cyndy, Bill, and Nina make some noise

All in all, it was a fun time. Although it is a lot of work putting on a dance at the Grange, it was nice to see several faces of folks who used to come to the Louisiana Dance Parties when we held them monthly in the early 2000s. A few of those folks admitted they missed the regular dances, so I said I will try to have them annually, perhaps every November.

(All pictures by Patricia F. Anderson. See all her pix from the Louisiana Dance Party.)